Those Who Love Me Can Take the Train
| "Those Who Love Me Can Take the Train" | |||||
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| Single by Alesha & Neyssa | |||||
| from the album Alesha Is the Queen & Neyssasongs | |||||
| B-side | "Banned in the Vatican" | ||||
| Released | November 26, 2007 | ||||
| Format | CD, DVD, digital | ||||
| Recorded | November 2006 | ||||
| Genre | Pop | ||||
| Label | Ensemble | ||||
| Writer(s) | Alesha & Neyssa | ||||
| Producer | Alesha & Neyssa | ||||
| Certification | Platinum | ||||
| Alesha singles chronology | |||||
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| Neyssa singles chronology | |||||
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"Those Who Love Me Can Take the Train" is a song performed by British recording artist Alesha and Canadian singer-songwriter Neyssa. It was released on Novembe 26, 2007, by Ensemble Entertainment, as the sixth and final single from Alesha’s fourth studio album Alesha Is the Queen. Originally written and left incomplete by Neyssa for her 2006 album The Beat That My Heart Skipped. Enamored with the track, Alesha completed the song as a duet. The pair had previously collaborated on the number one duet "Close the Door"/"He's Done It Again" in 2005.
"Those Who Love Me Can Take the Train" is an indie pop song with significantly more alternative influences than other singles released from Alesha Is the Queen. Lyrically, the song reads as a suicide note, but musically, the song remains midtempo, if not upbeat. "Those Who Love Me Can Take the Train" charted at number two, the fourth top-two single taken from Alesha's album, and received a platinum certification. Despite not reaching the pole position, "Those Who Love Me Can Take the Train" outsold Alesha and Neyssa's earlier chart-topping collaboration.
An "epic" music video was to be directed by Baz Luhrmann, but time and budget restraints meant that a video for "Those Who Love Me Can Take the Train" was never filmed. Alesha performed the song on five of her subsequent tours and with Neyssa at Alesha's MTV Unplugged concert and Judgment Day, a one-off concert at Wembley Stadium, in 2010.
Background and composition[edit | edit source]
"Those Who Love Me Can Take the Train" was originally written and left incomplete by Neyssa for her 2006 album The Beat That My Heart Skipped. Neyssa decided to include unfinished songs in demo form in the same vein as skits or interludes on the album. Enamored with the track, which was just a first verse and chorus, Alesha completed the song and recorded it as a duet with Neyssa for her 2007 album Alesha Is the Queen. The pair had previously collaborated on the number one duet "Close the Door"/"He's Done It Again" in 2005. Alesha and Neyssa had been dating ever since, becoming legally wed in 2008 (they later divorced in 2011).
Lyrically, the song reads as a suicide note, telling loved ones, "When you get this letter I'll be gone" and "Those who love me can take the train / Because it's the last time you'll ever see me again." Alesha said she was inspired by legendary country singer-songwriter Dolly Parton and indie musician Jenny Lewis' "alt-country" lyrics. Musically, the song remains midtempo, if not upbeat. To accompany the titular references to trains, the song "chugs along" with a folk-inspired indie-pop sound.
In November 2007, "Those Who Love Me Can Take the Train" was released as the sixth and final single from Alesha Is the Queen. Alesha and Neyssa recorded covers of Goldfrapp's "Train" and The 4-Non Blondes' "That Train." Additionally, they covered Salt 'n' Pepa's "Push It" and reworked 2 Live Crew's "Banned in the USA" into "Banned in the Vatican." In Japan, a special Alesha and Neyssa EP was released featuring all of their collaborative works. An "epic" music video was to be helmed by Australia film director Baz Luhrmann, but due to time and budget restraints, a video for "Those Who Love Me Can Take the Train" was never filmed.
Reception[edit | edit source]
Alex Henderson from Allmusic, commented that "Alesha’s gift for sleek, seductive dance music is evident on such gems as 'Just for the Thrills.'" Stephen Thomas Erlewine from the same publication called "Just for the Thrills" an excellent, standard-issue dance-pop song. Sal Cinquemani from Slant Magazine called the song irresistible. While reviewing Alesha’s greatest hits collection Last Judgment in 2010, Dave Karger from Entertainment Weekly commented that the song came off as a bit repetitious and immature.
"Those Who Love Me Can Take the Train" debuted at number two on the official singles chart on December 2, 2007, another respectable entry for Alesha Is the Queen. The duet became the fourth top-two single from the album (out of six singles overall). The duet went on to sell a total of 294,900 copies, just shy of breaking the threshold of 300,000 copies sold. The song was certified platinum for sales of over 250,000 copies (in 2013, due to sales inflation, platinum certifications were given to songs with sales of over 300,000 copies; this changed to 500,000 copies in 2014).
Live performances[edit | edit source]
Alesha and Neyssa performed "Those Who Love Me Can Take the Train" on 2007's Children in Need telethon. Alesha included the song on her first headlining world tour, 2007's The Queen Tour. In 2008, Neyssa joined Alesha to perform the song at Alesha's MTV Unplugged concert, later released to DVD as Alesha Unplugged. "Those Who Love Me Can Take the Train" was performed again on 2008's Jesus Christ Supertour and 2009's Apocalypse City Live. Alesha included the song in a medley with "Crucify" and "Bear Dance" on 2010’s [The Reckoning]], which supported Alesha’s greatest hits album Last Judgment. Alesha and Neyssa performed the song together at Judgment Day, a live concert at Wembley Stadium billed as Alesha’s "final concert" in 2010 (Alesha later returned to the industry after retiring six months earlier).
Track listing[edit | edit source]
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Artwork[edit | edit source]
CDs together
CD1
CD2
Japanese EP
Charts[edit | edit source]
| Chart (2015) | Peak position |
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| Urapopstar Top 40 Singles Chart | 2 |
